Magazine Review: Fantastic August 1969

Magazine Review: Fantastic August 1969 edited by Sol Cohen The opening editorial is by Ted White, the new managing editor. He talks about the decline in “fiction magazines” (the Saturday Evening Post had recently ceased publication for the first time) and is sad, but points out that times are always changing. He also mentions his… Continue reading Magazine Review: Fantastic August 1969

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps the spirits of the dead move on to the afterlife. But he is partially human, so his powers are relatively weak and he often has to resort to special devices that cost money. Between that and… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Webtoon Review: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

Skeletor gets an upgrade.

Webtoon Review: Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia is a planet that is near to and sometimes literally at the center of the universe. Within Castle Greyskull on that planet lies a secret power that supposedly would make one a Master of the Universe. The villainous Skeletor has long coveted that power, and from Snake… Continue reading Webtoon Review: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

Webtoon Review: Onyx Equinox

Several of our protagonists look back at a danger they've just escaped. For now.

Webtoon Review: Onyx Equinox Zyanya is in training to become a warrior for her people in the city of Danibaan. She’s pretty good at it, too. Alas, this is not enough to stop Mictlantecuhtli from dragging the entire city into the Underworld. Zyanya survives, but we’ll catch up with her later. The gods Quetzalcoatl and… Continue reading Webtoon Review: Onyx Equinox

Movie Review: Kitaro (2007)

Yokai love a good party just like humans!

Movie Review: Kitaro (2007) directed by Katsuhide Motoki The Miura family has been going through some tough times. Mrs. Miura died a couple of years back, and Mr. Miura (Go Riju) never got over it. He’s developed a bit of a drinking problem, so teenage daughter Mika (Mao Inoue) has had to step up as caretaker… Continue reading Movie Review: Kitaro (2007)

Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

Kitaro and friends.

Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018) Two decades into the Twenty-First Century, most humans have lost the belief in yokai, folkloric monsters that exist on the fringes of the world. They can’t even see yokai. So when a Logan Paul-like video prankster accidentally unleashes a creature that turns humans into trees, the authorities are helpless… Continue reading Anime Review: Gegege no Kitaro (2018)

Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales

Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz This hefty volume collects a variety of public domain stories concerning the supernatural. While the majority fall roughly into the category of horror, some are more what we’d call “dark fantasy” and a handful are just “well, that’s a weird thing that happened.”… Continue reading Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales

Book Review: The Vessel of Ra

Book Review: The Vessel of Ra by Catherine Schaff-Stump It is October 1837, and the acqua alta, the fall flooding, has come to Venice. Lucy Klareon has also come to Venice, as part of her Grand Tour, but she doesn’t plan to leave in the usual way. For on her sixteenth birthday, October 31st, All Hallows Eve, Lucy must do battle… Continue reading Book Review: The Vessel of Ra

Manga Review: Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon

Manga Review: Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon by Shigeru Mizuki Quick recap:  Kitaro is the last surviving member of the Ghost Tribe, a once populous group of yokai (Japanese spirits/monsters.)  His father lives on in the form of an eyeball and advises the young fellow.  Together with his untrustworthy friend Nezumi-Otoko (“Rat-Man”) and sometimes other friendly monsters, Kitaro… Continue reading Manga Review: Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon

Manga Review: Bleach Volume 10

Manga Review: Bleach Volume 10 by Tite Kubo Ichigo Kurosaki is not your typical Japanese sixteen-year-old.  For one thing, he has naturally orange hair which makes him look like a delinquent.   But more importantly, he can see ghosts.  For some reason, his home city of Karakura Town is particularly inhabited by ghosts, and he can… Continue reading Manga Review: Bleach Volume 10